Course syllabus for Material science

Course syllabus adopted 2021-02-18 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameMateriallära
  • CodeLKT280
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerTIKEL
  • Education cycleFirst-cycle
  • Main field of studyChemical Engineering
  • DepartmentCHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language Swedish
  • Application code 64112
  • Maximum participants35
  • Open for exchange studentsNo
  • Only students with the course round in the programme overview.

Credit distribution

0197 Examination 7.5 c
Grading: TH
0 c7.5 c0 c0 c0 c0 c
  • 15 Jan 2022 am J
  • 11 Apr 2022 pm J
  • 24 Aug 2022 am J

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for bachelor's level (first cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

The same as for the programme that owns the course.
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

LKT053 Physical chemistry and LKT032/033 General and inorganic chemistry, or equivalent.

Aim

The overall aim is to provide an understanding about materials used in industrial applications. This will be achieved by linking structure and properties of polymer materials, metals and metal alloys. The course will also deal with corrosion protection and corrosion control of metals.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

  • Account for the basic thermodynamical differences between polymers and low molecular weight compounds, especially regarding solubility.
  • Explain the principles behind different molecular weight determination methods.
  • Describe phenomena related to polymers in the solid state such as semi crystallinity, glass transition, chain orientation, and mechanical properties.
  • Account for the differences between the most common bulk- and engineering plastics, as well as their different application areas.
  • Describe the most commonly used processing methods for polymer materials.
  • Provide arguments for/ against the use of polymer materials in the perspective of a sustainable society. 
  • Account for solid state materials and describe their chemical bonds.
  • Explain how type of bonds, crystalline structures, defects, and deformation of metals are connected.
  • Account for different metal alloys and how they are constructed.
  • Describe how diffusion occurs in metals.
  • Explain why crystals have defects and describe different types of defects.
  • Describe the mechanical properties of metals, how they can be examined, and account for how/if they are coupled to the microstructure.
  • Account for different structural forms of iron including their properties.
  • Use iron-carbon phase diagrams to predict microstructures and stable phases.
  • Account for the effect of alloys on carbon steel.
  • Correlate a cooling curve for a carbon steel to its microstructure using a TTT-diagram (Time-Temperature-Transformation)
  • Explain how and why a specific metal corrodes in a water solution using, for example, a Pourbaix diagram (potential - pH diagram).
  • Account for different types of corrosion in the presence of a water solution.
  • Describe different types of corrosion protection.
  • Describe the formation of an oxide during high temperature oxidation as well as desirable/non-desirable properties of the oxide.
  • Describe the link between the properties of the oxide and the influence on the oxide/material.
  • Account for the oxides on the most common high temperature materials in different atmospheres using for example an Ellingham diagram.

Content

The course is organized in lectures, tutorials, and laboratory work, and comprises three different areas, i.e. polymer materials, metallic materials and corrosion. The polymer part of the course will provide basic understanding how the chain form of a polymer leads to the characteristics associated with polymer materials. It also deals with more technological issues that various polymer materials, additives and processing of plastics. Polymer environmental properties will be taken up as a special part. The part of the course dealing with metals will give basic understanding of the link between microstructure and mechanical properties as well as providing knowledge for how material properties can be manipulated and altered by thermomechanical treatment. The corrosion part of the course will provide basic insights on metals corrosion. An important aspect is the corrosion protection by protective coatings, changing the corrosive environment and/or change in the alloy composition and microstructure.

Organisation

The course is divided into three approximately equal parts; polymer materials, metallic materials, and corrosion, where every part includes lectures, tutorials, and compulsory laboratory work.

Literature

Handouts Thomas Hjertberg, Helena Andersson, "Inledande polymervetenskap" (2011) (in Swedish), Chalmers 2011

Examination including compulsory elements

The examination is based on a written exam where the learning outcomes listed above are evaluated. In order to pass the course, besides passing the written exam, it is compulsory to participate in the lab course and to get approval on the lab reports. Grades 3, 4, 5, and Fail.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.